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J. H. HEFFNERQ COTTON GIN.

No. 590,682. Patented Sept. 28,1897.

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J.H.HEFPNER. COTTON GIN.

N0'.590,68'2. Patented Sept. 28,1897.

//v VENTOI? STATE .ATENT met.

JOHN H. HEFFNER, OF-THORNTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF- ONE-THIRD TO 0. EDWARD APPLER, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

COTTON-GIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,682, dated September 28, 1897. Application filed Mayl, 1897- Serial No. 634,669. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. HEFFNER, a citizen of the United States, residingat Thornton, in the county of Limestone and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ootton-Gins; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to improvements in cotton-gins, and more particularly to that class of saw-gins in which the brush cylinder is dispensed with and a combined suction-fan and doffer employed to remove the lint from the gin-saws; and the object is to simplify the construction and at the same time increase the effectiveness of this class of gins.

To these ends the novelty consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the same, as willbe hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the same reference-characters indicate the same parts of the invention.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a saw-gin embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same. Fig. 3 is an end view showing the frictional gearing. Fig. 4c is a detailed perspective view of one of the automatically adjustable journal boxes in which the ends of the fan-shaft are j on rnaled. Fig. 5 represents an enlarged perspective detail view of a section of the fan-shaft to more clearly illustrate the manner of securing the sheet-metal fan-blades to said shaft. Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view of a section of the fan-shaft to more clearly show the construction of the flexible strips and their exact relation to the saw-teeth. Fig. 7 represents an enlarged perspective view of the fan-shaft, spiders, and the fan-blades with the flexible strips adjustably secured in place. Fig. Sis an enlarged plan view of a section of one of the flexible strips. Fig. 9 is an enlarged sec,-

tion of the contiguous ends of the fan and saw shafts and their respective friction drivingpulleys. Fig. 10 is a detail section of the outer end of one of the fan-blades.

1 1 represent the usual rectangular frame, and 2 the gin-saw shaft, j ournaled in the fixed bearings 3 3. I

4 represents the saws, and 5 5 represent friction-pulleys fixed on the ends of the sawshaft.

6 6 represent fixed guide-shoes bolted to the cross-braces 7 7, and they are provided with parallel dovetail flanges 8 8, between which are mounted the adjustable bearingboxes 9 9, which receive the journals of the fan-shaft 10, and 12 12 represent spiral springs which encompass the rods 13 13, the inner ends of which are fixed to the boxes 9 9 and their outer ends extending through the adjustable lugs 14.14 on the shoes 6 6.

6 6" represent thumb-screws mounted in the outer ends of the shoes in cars 6 6 and their inner ends rest against the sliding lugs 14, so that the tension of the springs 12 may be regulated at Will.

15 15 represent friction-pulleys fixed on the fan-shaft 10 and in line with the larger friction-pulleys 5 5 on the saw-shaft. i

The pulleys 5 5 are cone-shaped on 'tllGll peripheries to increase the bearing-surface, and the contiguous pulleys 15 15 on the fanshaft are each formed of two parallel disks 16 16, fixed to the shaft by the usual key 17 and adjustable with reference to each other by means of the right and left hand screwstuds '18 18, extending through said disks parallel with the shaft and adj ustably secured in place by means of the lock-nuts 18 on their outer ends. The peripheries of these disks are formed with oppositely-disposed beveled faces 18 18 converging inwardly to form an adjustable bearing for the cone-shaped face '7 of the driving-pulleys 5 5, and from this construction it will be understood that by in: creasingor diminishing the distancebetween the driven disks each 'end of the fan-shaft may be adjusted independently of the other to preserve its alinement with reference to the saw-shaft, and consequently both ends may be adjusted simultaneously for the purposeto be hereinafter more fully explained. V 1 9 19 represent guard-diskslooselymounted on the fan-shaft, and 20 20 represent a series of spiders adjustably secured on the fan shaft between said guard-disks at suitable intervals to carry the curved longitudinal fanblades 21 21. These spiders are each formed of a series of segmental members 22, each of which is formed with a pair of radially-curved arms 23 23, and 24 '24 represent set-screws arms of the adjoining members together, and

when the curved fan-blades are inserted between the contiguous faces of the adjoining members, as shown, the relative arrangement is such that the blades are secured in place in the spiders and the spiders at the same time rigidly fixed on the shaft, and from this construction it will readily be seen that a single blade can be replaced on the fan-shaft without disturbing the adjustment of the balance of the series of blades.

25 25 represent a series of flexible rectangular strips formed with transverse slots 26 26, and 27 27 sheet-metal plates which rest upon the flexible strips, and by means of the screws 28 28, which pass through orifices in the plates 27, the slots 26 in the strips, and similar orifices in the outer ends of the fan-blades and are provided with nuts 28', the said flexible strips are so secured to the outer ends of said blades that they may be adj ustedradially to secure uniformity in .the entire series of strips with reference to the center of the fan-shaft.

Each side of the flexible strips is provided with a series of longitudinal parallel indentations 2!) 2i), and the contiguous face of the outer end of the fan-blade is turned inwardly at a right angle to form a lip 30, which in addition to stiffening the edge of the sheet metal also serves to engage one of the indentations or grooves in the strip, and the contiguous face of the outer end of the plate 27 is also formed with a lip 31, which engages a corre sponding indentation in the opposite side of the strip, and when the parts are so secured by the screws 28 all danger of the flexible strip being thrown out of adjustment by centrifugal force is avoided, and at the same time the indentations insure the accurate adjustment of the flexible strips in'a simple and practical manner in the first instance, and should it become necessary to readjust them for any reasonas, for instance, that due to a reduced diameter of the saws from a continual filingthese indentations serve as guides to facilitate the operation and insure its accuracy.

32 32 represent a series of open-ended radial parallel slots formed in the outer edge of the flexible strip, and these slots are of such dimensions individually as to encompass the edge of the saw and extend inward on each side thereof as far back as or a trifle beyond the heel of the saw-tooth, but in such a manner as not to touch the saw or teeth at any point. This is a very important feature of my invention, as the leather of which the flexible strips are preferably made is, as is well known, highly abrasive, and in that class of saw-gins in which the leather comes into actual contact with the saws soon renders them useless, all of which objections are overcome by my improved construction of the flexible strip and its relation to the saw-teeth.

Another feature is that the fan-blades, be-

ing curved from the shaft outward practically their entire width, create a suction or current of air, the only exit of which is in through the passage leading to the condenser, thereby greatly facilitating the removal of the lint from the saws and discharging it rearward into the condenser.

33 33 represent sleeves loosely mounted on the fan-shaft between the guard-disks 19 and the bearing-boxes 9, and these sleeves and disks are preferably polished to prevent the lint gathering at these points.

Although I have specifically described the construction and relative arrangement of the several elements of my invention, I do not desire to be confined to the same, as such changes or modifications may be made as clearly fall within the scope of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s

1. A cotton-gin of the class described, the fan-shaft 10 comprising the segmental spiders 20, the curved fan-blades 2121 removably secured between the divided arms of said spiders, the longitudinal plates 27, and the flexible strips 25, provided with the transverse slots 26 adjustably secured between the outer ends of said blades and plates 27 by the bolts 28, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The fan'shaft 10, the spiders 2O comprising the segmental members 22 22, each of which is formed with a pair of radial arms 23 23, curved in the same direction, the correspondingly-curved sheet-m eta-l fan-blades 21, removably secured between said arms by the set screws 24 24, in combination with the longitudinal plates 27 and the flexible strips 25, provided with the open-ended slots 32, the longitudinal parallel indentations 29 and the transverse slots 26, and adjustably secured between said blades and plates 27 by the bolts 28, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The fan-shaft, the spiders 20 comprising the counterpart segmental members 22, each of which is formed with a pair of radial arms 23 23, the curved sheet-metal fan-blades 21 21 secured between said arms by the setscrews 24, and having their outer ends formed with an integral longitudinal lip 30, in combination with the longitudinal plates 27 having their outer ends formed with a longitudinal lip 31, and the flexible strips 25, provided with the open-ended slots 32 and the transverse slots 26, and adj ustably secured between said blades and plates by the bolts 28, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. llEFFNER. lVitnesses:

Z. W. FULLER, S. II. KELLY. 

